1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to board games and, more particularly, to a board game especially related to activities associated with the holiday of Halloween.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The playing of board games is a popular pastime among many people. Moreover, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to board games, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,121,928; 5,139,268; 5,183,257; 5,251,905; and 5,282,630. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,928 discloses a board game that is based on information recall. Although such information recall games may be enjoyable to adults who have accumulated a large fund of knowledge over the years, such an information recall board game may not be playable by a young child. In this respect, it would be desirable if a board game were provided which does not require information recall to play the game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,268 discloses a board game in which all players start at the same location and finish at the same location. To add extra interest to board game, it would be desirable if each player could start at a different location and finish at a different location.
Moreover, each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,139,268 and 5,183,257 discloses a board game which has two paths. A long path has less risks, and a short path has more risks. For some players, especially very young players, the need to make a choice of taking risks or not taking risks may be an undesirable undertaking. For some players, such risk taking may take the fun out of the game. In this respect, it would be desirable if a board game were provided which does not require a player to make choices among less risky long paths or more risky short paths to take.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,905 discloses a war game in which each player tries to capture the other players pieces. Rather than have a board game depend solely upon capturing the opponents pieces, it would be desirable if a board game had a mode of playing which provides for more than capturing an opponents pieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,630 is another board game that has one start point and one finish point for all players. As discussed above with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,268, it would be desirable if each player could start at a different location and finish at a different location.
Clearly, none of the patents discussed above discloses a board game which relates to the holiday of Halloween. Because the holiday of Halloween is of great interest to many people, especially children who enjoy going on trick or treat, it would be desirable if a board game were provided which relates to the holiday of Halloween.
In the board games discussed above, all the players compete with one another to reach a common goal. To add variety and interest in a board game, it would be desirable if different players in the same game had different goals. In such a board game, the winner of the game would be the person who reaches one's respective goal before any other player reaches one's respective goal.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use board games, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a Halloween board game which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not require information recall to play the game; (2) permits each player to start at a different location and finish at a different location; (3) does not require a player to make choices of taking less risky long paths or more risky short paths; (4) provides for more than capturing the pieces of an opponent; (5) relates to the holiday of Halloween; and (6) permits different players in the same game to have different goals from each other to win the game. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique Halloween board game of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.